KARACHI: Speakers at a public awareness session held in Mithi underscored the need for stronger preventive measures against substance abuse that, they said, was becoming a leading cause of mental health disorders.

The session was part of a series of programmes organised by the Sindh Mental Health Authority (SMHA) in collaboration with the Thar Foundation for labourers, workers, and executives across the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) and Hubco sites.

The joint initiative successfully trained more than 1,000 employees across various organisational levels. Three of the sessions focused on identifying mental health challenges, managing workplace stress, and fostering a supportive, stigma-free environment that prioritises psychological well-being alongside physical safety.

A fourth training session was dedicated to the teachers of The Citizens Foundation (TCF) School Mithi held at a local hotel. Every session concluded with an interactive question and answer segment.

The sessions featured prominent leadership and mental health experts, who emphasised the critical need for mental health advocacy in industrial sectors.

Notable participants and speakers included SMHA Chairman Dr Karim Ahmed Khawaja, Farhan Ansari, Dr Parveen Channar representing Sir Cowasjee Jehangir Institute of Psychiatry & Behavioural Sciences, Dr Bharat Kumar and Dr Asif Ali Laghari.

During the sessions, the experts addressed standard workplace stressors and shared practical coping mechanisms with the workforce.

It also yielded major milestones, including training lady health workers as first responders, completing a comprehensive mental health awareness survey, and conducting a psychological autopsy study — the first of its kind in South Asia — to establish an evidence-based baseline for targeted interventions.

Speaking at the concluding session, the SMHA chairman said the provincial government was currently providing free medicines for mental health treatments. However, he urged that stronger preventive measures against substance abuse were urgently needed, as it was becoming a leading cause of mental health disorders.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2026